Philip Morris International
World Tour
2008-2009


Here are some specific examples of how PMI is aggressively targeting young people around the world, grouped by category (though some examples also fall under other categories of promotion):

See photo album of select examples

Concert Sponsorship

Movie Screenings

  • Pakistan: Mobile Cinema Hall: This marketing campaign by Lakson Tobacco Company (98% owned by PMI) for its Diplomat cigarette brand took place in Karachi and involved a long branded truck with a mini cinema hall inside. The entry ticket for the cinema hall was a pack of cigarettes. The main target of this campaign was youth from low socio economic classes.

Points for Prizes

  • Argentina: The Auction: PMI has created a website where smokers can exchange points they get in their cigarrette boxes, for products such as CD music, mobile phones, etc, and enter to win prizes like a motorcycle with a side car or a vintage VW van. There is no mention of PMI in the site, but there is in the kiosk where they sell the cigarrettes.

Sport Sponsorship

Social Networking Sites

Package Design

  • Indonesia: Lipstick-shaped packs: A Volution is a slim cigarette brand that is targeted at women. The A Volution pack looks like a tube of lipstick.
  • Russia: Perfume box-shaped packs: Virginia Slims Uno is sold in packaging that resembles a box of perfume. The pack comes in black or white allowing consumers to purchase based on their “mood”.
  • Worldwide: Cell phone-size packs: PMI is growing market share in several markets by introducing Marlboro Filter Plus –also called Marlboro Flavor Plus. Packaged to resemble a mobile phone, it is marketed as having a “unique, multi-chamber filter,” allegedly delivering lower tar levels and a smooth taste. PMI’s own consumer research has shown that “between 40% and 60% of Marlboro Filter Plus smokers are Young Adult Smokers." Markets include: four Eastern European countries (Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia and Ukraine), Brazil, Japan, Korea, and Kuwait.
  • Lebanon: Misleading descriptor: Merit Lights. Read related: Federal Judge Orders Tobacco Companies to Stop Deceiving Foreign Consumers As Well as Those in U.S.
  • Ukraine: Color-coding a lie: Following the ban on misleading terms, PMI launched new products and revamped existing ones by switching to color codes to denote lower tar contents; Chesterfield Classic Blue and Bronze replaced “Lights” and “Ultra Lights”; L&M Silver Label replaced L&M Superlights; Marlboro replaced descriptors with tar content (10mg for regular, 6mg for lights, and 4mg for ultra lights); Parliament Aqua Blue (lights), Night Blue (regular), and Silver Blue (extra lights)

Product Design

  • Costa Rica: New Flavors: Marlboro Mint Series: Icy Mint & Fresh Mint
  • Turkey: Shape & Nicotine Content: Marlboro Intense is a “mini” cigarette is engineered to deliver the same amount of nicotine as a regular length Marlboro, but it is substantially shorter for a quicker smoke.The pack is small-sized so that it fits easily into shirt pockets. It is a way for company to address increases in smoke-free environments which cause people to shorten their smoke breaks.

Miscellaneous

  • Indonesia: Billboards: While PMI is engaging in many new and innovative promotional strategies, it still engages in billboard advertising, such as this Marlboro ad.
  • Philippines: Low prices/individual cigarette sales: These are posters found at thousands of stores in the Philippines. For reference, USD 1 = 48 pesos.
  • Philippines: Smoking Lounge: Smoking lounge created by Marlboro as part of a local airport in a popular beach destination (Boracay), to which many young people go.
  • Philippines: Awards to Journalists: Philip Morris is a sponsor of the Bright Leaf Awards – awards given to journalists and photographers for agricultural journalism. There are award categories for both tobacco articles and photographs. While not an example of direct tobacco promotions to youth, such activities help create an media and political environment in which the company's promotional activities are not questioned.


Thanks to the following organizations and people for their contribution of examples and information: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Mary Assunta, Ulysses Dorotheo, Dina Kania, Javaid Khan, George Saades, Stafford Sanders, Veronica Sandler, Nicole Sutton, and Domilyn Villarreiz.

More information:

For more information, contact:

Anna White
Global Youth Action on Tobacco Network/
Essential Action
Tel: +1 202-413-9656
Email: awhite (at) essential.org

Susan Cavanagh
Framework Convention Alliance
Tel:: +61 416 361 759 (mobile)
Tel: :+61 2 8206 9495
Email: cavanaghs (at) fctc.org